System for actuating cigarette lighters

ABSTRACT

A system for actuating the electric ignition and the burner valve of a gas lighter has an actuating member normally at rest within the contour of the lighter casing; the actuating member can be moved to an active position outside the contour, thereby actuating the valve and ignition.

United States Patent Gerhard Steuernagel Darmstadt-Eberstadt;

Claus C. Cobarg, Steinbach/Ts.; Dieter Rams, Konigstein/Ts., all of Germany Inventors Appl. No. 843,047 Filed July 18, 1969 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 Assignee Braun Aktiengesellschaft Frankfurt amMain, Germany Priority July 20, 1968 Germany P 17 82 114.6

SYSTEM FOR ACTUATING CIGARETTE LlGI-ITERS 5 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 431/130, 43 1 1 3 2 Int. Cl F23q 3/01 Field of Search 431/129,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1936 Wise et a1. 12/ 1 950 Cherouvrier 4/1953 Anderson 10/ 1 960 Gellman 5/1966 Racek 5/1969 Ha1m.... 9/ 1962 Smith FOREIGN PATENTS 4/ l 953 France Primary Examiner-Edward J. Michael Attorney-Ernest F. Marmorek 431/277X 431/276X 431/131 431/130 431/131 431/130X 431/131 X ABSTRACT: A system for actuating the electric ignition and the burner valve of a gas lighter has an actuating member normally at rest within the contour of the lighter casing; the actuating member can be moved to an active position outside the contour, thereby actuating the valve and ignition.

PATENTEunm 12 I9" 3.612.736

' SHEET 1 BF 2 l SYSTEM FOR ACTUATING CIGARETTE LIGHTERS REFERENCES Reference is had to the pending design patent application of one of the instant joint inventors, Ser. No. Dl6,29l, filed Mar. 17, I969, assigned to the instant assignee, now US. Pat. No. Des. 217,496, dated May 5, 1970 and to the pending patent application of HansSchindler, Ser. No. 684,577, filed Sept. 14, I967, assigned to the assignee of the instant application now US. Pat. No. 3,458,765, dated July 29, 1969.

The invention relates to a system for actuating the ignition mechanism and the burner valve of a lighter, particularly of a pocket lighter.

Lighters are known with various actuating members which afforda more or less simple actuation of the lighters. Pocket lighters mostly have actuating members, such as rollers, hinged covers or spring-pressed levers, which rotate about a horizontalaxis of the lighter. Often the actuation of the burner valve is separated from that of the ignition mechanism, which calls for an additional operating part. This renders the operation complicated and renders more difficult the one-hand operation of the lighter.

In the lighters now available, which are mostly equipped with a friction drive ignition system, the force created by actuating the lighter suffices for actuation of the ignition system and of the burner valve. In pocket lighters equipped with electric ignition systems, however, such as piezoelectric or magnetic ignition, the actuation force is barely or not at all sufficient, as electric ignition systems need a higher amount of force compared to friction drive ignition. Consequently, these lighters are difiicult to actuate, which is a source of complaint by female users.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the invention to provide a system for actuating lighters, which is characterized by an easy action and yet affords the necessary force for actuating the burner valve and ignition mechanism, especially a piezoelectric or a magnetic ignition mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claimshereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

The instant invention solves these and other aims by an actuating member that is nonnally within the casing contour at rest, but is movable out of the contour of the casing to an active position thereby actuating at least the burner valve and ignition mechanism of the lighter.

Advantageously, theactuating member forms part of the side surfaces and of the end surface of the lighter and swings out from a side surface.

According to a modified embodiment, the actuating member comprises an end surface of the casing and is rotatable about an axis of rotation substantially at right angles to the plane of that end surface.

It is especially advantageous to form the actuating member in sucha manner that the burner valve, flame control, filling valve, flame pit and air louvers may be covered by the actuating member.

In order to make the flame control and filling valve easier reachable, it is advantageous to provide the actuating member with a releasable holding means or register, such as a notch that becomes effective in-one of the active, open subpositions of the actuating member. This has the further advantage that also in offering a light, the actuating member will be held in the open position, and thus the lighter may be passed around without need to hold the actuating member. Also for pipe smokers this presents a simplification in lighting the pipe.

LII

To prevent the lighter from opening by itself in the pocket, the lighter in the closing position may be provided with a releasable holding means, such as a notch that is effective either for the closed position of the actuating member only, or also for the open active position thereof.

In order still to simplify actuation of the lighter more, it is advantageous to provide the actuating member on its surface at the point of application of the thumb, with transverse furrows and/or with a projection.

On the opposite side of the actuating member there is advantageously provided on the lighter a lid tiltable out of the contour of the lighter, which covers in the closed position the filling valve, flame control and a tank observation window.

According to a further modified embodiment, the actuation of the ignition system may be effected by a torsion rod vertically arranged in the casing and which acts as a transmission member between the actuating member and the ignition system. The torsion rod is preferably arranged in a comer of the casing, and may also be in the form of a torsion spring.

It is especially advantageous to secure the actuating member on the torsion spring, the latter having an axis coinciding with the rotation axis of the actuating member.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be best understood from the following description of exemplifications thereof,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lighter with a lever as an actuating member, showing parts of an end surface and two side surfaces;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modification wherein the actuating member forms a part of a side surface and of the end surface of the casing, at rest;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment wherein the actuating lever forms a part of a side surface;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a modified lighter, the actuating lever of which is likewise formed by a part of a side surface and which reaches into the end surface, and which illustrates a torsion rod;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified lighter with an actuating lever that closes with the end surface opposite to the side of the flame opening;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified lighter the actuating member of which comprises the end surface and a part of a side surface and is rotatable about an axis at right angles to the plane of the end surface, showing the lighter at rest;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the lighter in operating position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified lighter showing in addition to the actuating lever also a lid for covering the flame control and the filling valve, as well as an observation window for the tank, with both the actuating lever and the lid closed;

FIG. 9 shows the lighter of FIG. 8, but with the actuating lever in active, open position; and

FIG. 10 shows the lighter of FIGS. 8 and 9, but with the lid in open position uncovering the flame control, filling valve and the observation window.

In the drawings, like parts have been identified by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a lighter with a rectangular casing l and an actuating member in the form of a lever 2. The lever 2 is rotatably mounted in a comer of the casing. l and is movable horizontally about a vertical axis, from a position wherein at least a portion of the exterior of the lever 2 coincides with the corresponding portion of the contour of the casing I, out of the contour of the lighter.

The lever 2 comprises a surface 21 which is simultaneously the end surface of the lighter at rest, as well as the sidewalls 22 and 23, the outer surfaces of which coincide in the rest position of the lever 2 with the surfaces 12 and 13, respectively, of the casing I. The actuation of the lighter is effected by clasping the lighter with the hand and by moving the lever 2 horizontally by sidewise pressing on the outer surface of the sidewall 22 which may be provided with friction means such as, for example, vertical channels (FIG. 5) transverse to the actuation direction and/or with a projection (FIG. 3). Thereby the ignition mechanism and the burner valve will be activated.

Simultaneously, there will be uncovered the flame opening or pit 14, the filling valve and the flame control 16 and most of the end surface 11 of the casing 1.

When pushing the lever 2 to the active end position, the lever 2 will be held in that position, for instance by means of a notch (not shown) wherein the lever will releasably be retained. This enables maintenance work on the lighter, such as filling, flame control or cleaning, to be carried out without need to hold the lever 2. Also when offering a light, the notched actuating lever is advantageous, as the thumb is free to grasp the lighter and to pass it around.

In FIG. 2 there is also shown a lighter with an essentially rectangular casing 1. The actuating lever 2 of this lighter, however, comprises a part of the end surface 21 as well as of the sidewall 23 of the lever 2. The flame opening 14 as well as the flame control and the filling valve (not shown) will be covered or, respectively, uncovered, by the lever 2.

FIG. 3 is a modification of the lighter according to FIG. 2, the actuating lever 2 of which is composed of the sidewall 23 of the lever according to FIG. 1. The lever 2 does, however, not reach to the end surface 11 of the casing l. but there remains a narrow bridge 131, the edge of which forms a plane with the outer surface of the sidewall 23 of the lever 2, and the surface 13.

The lever 2 has a flap 24 which in the rest position reaches under the end surface 11 and which, when the lever 2 is actuated, uncovers the flame opening 14.

FIG. 4 shows a lighter with an actuating lever similar to FIG. 3, but the edge surface of the sidewall 23 of the lever 2 reaches into the end surface 11 of the casing l. The flame opening 14 covering is effected by means of a flap 25 that projects into a recess of the end surface 11 into which there leads the flame opening 14. The actuating lever 2 is mounted on a torsion spring which is situated in a corner of the casing l. The torsion spring 20 activates the ignition mechanism of the lighter which includes an interrupting magnet system 3. The magnetic system 3 comprises a friction armature 31 which is activated by means of a lever 32 by a nose 202 of the torsion spring 20. The torsion spring 20 may, instead of the nose 202, include an eccenter or a further interposed lever.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a modification of a lighter with a somewhat oval cross section, wherein the actuating lever 2 does not extend throughout an entire broadside of the casing 1, but reaches only to about the middle of the width of the sur face 13 and is there rotatably hinged about a vertical hinge axis. The lever 2, like in the exemplifications of FIGS. 1-4, needs to be activated by the thumb which touches the surface 22 of the lever 2. Below the lever 2 there may again be arranged for covering the filling valve (15, not shown in FIG. 5) and the flame control 16.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown, in closed and, respectively,

open position a lighter, the actuating member of which is a lever 2. The lever 2 is formed by a separate wall portion of the end surface 21 and by a part of the sidewall 23 of the lever 2 (see FIG. 1). The lever 2 is pivotable horizontally about a vertical axis 26 which may be situated in the middle of the casing 1.

FIGS. 8-10 show a lighter that has an actuating lever 2 and a lid 4, which covers up (FIG. 8), and uncovers (FIG. 10), the filling valve 15 and the flame control 16, as well as an observation window 17 for controlling the tank filling.

In FIG. 9 the actuating lever 2 is shown in the open, active position, exposing the flame opening 14 and the air louvers 18.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. 7

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to be secured b Letters Patent, is as follows;

1. An electric, battery ess gas lighter having an ignition 0 mechanism and a burner valve,

a casing defining a contour including side and end surfaces said casing enclosing said ignition mechanism and burner valve,

a doorlike actuating member for said ignition system, hinged to said casing and normally being in a rest position in which its exterior is flush with the contour of said casing, said lighter being inactivated when said actuating member is in its rest position,

an air inlet and a flame opening defined in said housing at portions thereof covered by said actuating member when in said rest position,

said actuating member being pivotable about a hinge axis to an active position our of said contour of said casing thereby actuating said burner valve and said ignition mechanism, said hinge axis being substantially parallel to a longitudinal side of said casing, said actuating member in said active position uncovering said air inlet and said flame opening,

a torsion rod in driving connection with said ignition mechanism and having a torsion axis substantially coinciding with said hinge axis, said actuating member being in driving connection with said torsion rod.

2. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said active position including several subpositions, and means disposed between said casing and said actuating member operable to retain releasably said actuating member in any of said subpositions.

3. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said lighter further including a filling valve, a flame control device and a fuel tank observation window, a lid hinged to said casing on the side opposite to the actuating member and being normally in an inactive position within said contour thereby covering said filling valve, flame control and tank observation window.

4. A lighter, as claimed in claim 3, said lid being disposed on said casing symmetrically relative to said actuating member.

5. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said torsion rod being a torsion spring. 

1. An electric, batteryless gas lighter having an ignition mechanism and a burner valve, a casing defining a contour including side and end surfaces said casing enclosing said ignition mechanism and burner valve, a doorlike actuating member for said ignition system, hinged to said casing and normally being in a rest position in which its exterior is flush with the contour of said casing, said lighter being inactivated when said actuating member is in its rest position, an air inlet and a flame opening defined in said housing at portions thereof covered by said actuating member when in said rest position, said actuating member being pivotable about a hinge axis to an active position our of said contour of said casing thereby actuating said burner valve and said ignition mechanism, said hinge axis being substantially parallel to a longitudinal side of said casing, said actuating member in said active position uncovering said air inlet and said flame opening, a torsion rod in driving connection with said ignition mechanism and having a torsion axis substantially coinciding with said hinge axis, said actuating member being in driving connection with said torsion rod.
 2. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said active position including several subpositions, and means disposed between said casing and said actuating member operable to retain releasably said actuating member in any of said subpositions.
 3. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said lighter further including a filling valve, a flame control device and a fuel tank observation window, a lid hinged to said casing on the side opposite to the actuating member and being normally in an inactive position within said contour thereby covering said filling valve, flame control and tank observation window.
 4. A lighter, as claimed in claim 3, said lid being disposed on said casing symmetrically relative to said actuating member.
 5. A lighter, as claimed in claim 1, said torsion rod being a torsion spring. 